-
Did You Ask the Right Questions?
Day after day we have opportunities to ask questions and hear the hearts of our children as they struggle with tough relationships both inside and outside the home. Getting them to share their hearts by asking them specific questions and follow up questions will teach them the importance of debriefing themselves and their feelings.
-
Powerful Love, Life Changing Love
In John 17:26 Jesus prays, “I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.” What an amazing prayer He prayed for us in this priestly prayer. To those who have believed in Jesus, He has made known His name to us. Yet He promises the Father that He will continue to make it known. And, why will He do that? So that the very love that the Father loves the only begotten Son with might be in us and that He might be in us.…
-
“I don’t like surprises! I just want to know when Jesus is going to come back.”
As bedtimes so often go, my four-year-old uses the last few minutes of the day in hopes that he can begin a conversation that will require me to linger just a little bit longer. Most recently, he began a line of questioning that started with curiosity about the new heaven and the new earth, and then morphed into an intense desire to understand Jesus’ triumphant return (Rev. 21:1, Matt. 24:42-44). He did not receive the news well when I explained that Jesus says we won’t know when he’s coming back. Worst case scenario, we wait. If you have parented any preschoolers recently, then you know that waiting is not one…
-
Living the Resurrection Life
How does one get past the tendency to just celebrate the date and instead, learn how to live a life of resurrection celebration?
-
What can I give the Lord when I have nothing left?
I grew up in a tradition that observed the season of Lent. Every year as a young person we were encouraged to sacrifice something in order to honor the sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross and to help us as believers to focus on the Lord as we prepared for Easter. I believe there are a vast number of ways that Lent is used and observed, but as a young person this is what I understood it to be. My most memorable “sacrifice” was soda. I remember because I was in the sixth grade and after my 40 days of soda sobriety, I can honestly say I have never…
-
The Jar I Broke
Society pages dished details of Simon’s soirees. Pictures showcased jetsetters and dignitaries alike in attendance. The article closed announcing the date and guest list for his next gathering. Jaw squarely set, I knew I had to attend. You know when you really want to meet that one person? You follow their activities. You listen to others share their experiences which only intensifies your own hunger. I would attend. I didn’t care that it was invitation only. I wouldn’t let an all-male guest list derail me. Candles glimmered as shadows danced in the darkened room. The opulence dazzled. Resolute, I walked beneath the arched entry with my shoulders back, head high,…
-
Christmas Is God Saying “I Love You”
She’s an independent small town business woman jaded by past relationships. He’s an engaged, rich guy from a big corporation trying to take over her struggling enterprise. They meet two days before Christmas. He’s impressed, her heart melts, a miracle happens, and they kiss under the mistletoe. This common trope of sentimental love promoted on every channel and streamed into homes worldwide is not at all the love of Christmas that Scripture describes: This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10 Christmas is God saying, “I love you. I’ve…
-
The Treasure We Give Back
All of us have something we value above all else. Something we can’t live without. Something that gives us a sense of importance or hope. What can we learn from a woman labeled with capital SHAME who relinquished the treasure she was saving?
-
The Gift of “God With Us”
A wailing scream pierces the air. The new mother cries tears of sheer exhaustion and joy. The father stands speechless, astounded, holding a wriggly bundle in his arms. Mom and dad lock eyes and they silently ask each other, “What should we name him?” (Para español, lea abajo.) A name means something. Depending on the culture, a name implies family respect, honor, and tradition. In the Latino culture, for example, parents typically name their firstborn child after the father or mother. If the father is Luis, the baby boy is Luis. If the mother is Elizabeth, the baby girl is Elizabeth. In doing so, the parents preserve their family legacy.…
-
A Cross at Christmas
Christmas, for many, is a magical time of twinkling lights, singing, brightly colored packages, cookies, candy, parties, and laughter. However, for others, Christmas is shrouded with the stark reality of a cross they have to bear. Some will face things like roaring fires that ravage neighborhoods, hospital rooms, funeral homes, broken relationships, drunken relatives, or deep sorrow as they look in vain for the faces of those who are missing from their lives.